Back to EveryPatent.com
| United States Patent |
6,264,383
|
|
Kawase
|
July 24, 2001
|
Image printing data control method for thermal transfer printers
Abstract
An object of the invention is to provide an image printing data control
method for thermal transfer printers capable of achieving efficient
transmission of image printing data from an external control section to a
printer control section, and thereby making it possible to reduce the
printing time. Image printing data consisting of undercoat printing data
for carrying out undercoat printing on recording paper, image data for
carrying out desired image printing, and overcoat printing data for
carrying out overcoat printing over the image printing are transmitted, at
the time of printing, from an external control section to the control
section of a thermal transfer printer, wherein the undercoat printing data
and the overcoat printing data are common data; each of the undercoat
printing step and the overcoat printing step in the printing process is
selected as desired; and printing control data indicating the presence or
absence of the step of the undercoat printing and the step of the overcoat
printing are transmitted, before the transmission of the image printing
data, to the control section of the thermal transfer printer.
| Inventors:
|
Kawase; Hideo (Iwate-ken, JP)
|
| Assignee:
|
Alps Electric Co. (Tokyo, JP)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
401587 |
| Filed:
|
September 22, 1999 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Sep 24, 1998[JP] | 10-269411 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
400/120.01; 400/120.18 |
| Intern'l Class: |
B41J 002/315 |
| Field of Search: |
400/120.01,120.18,120.03,120.13
347/212
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
| 5132701 | Jul., 1992 | Stephenson et al. | 346/1.
|
| 5494361 | Feb., 1996 | Sonada | 400/120.
|
| 5512930 | Apr., 1996 | Brandt et al.
| |
| 5552819 | Sep., 1996 | Brandt et al.
| |
| 5589869 | Dec., 1996 | Brandt et al.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 0 593 303 A2 | Oct., 1993 | EP.
| |
| 2 286 559 | Aug., 1995 | GB.
| |
| 09 277 677 | Oct., 1997 | JP.
| |
Primary Examiner: Yan; Ren
Assistant Examiner: Cone; Darius
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An image printing method for thermal transfer printers whereby printing
is controlled on the basis of image printing data transmitted from a host
side control section to a control section of a thermal transfer printer at
the time of printing, said image printing including undercoat printing
data for carrying out undercoat printing on a recording paper, image data
for carrying out desired image printing on the reading paper or on an
undercoat, and overcoat printing data being common data for printing in an
area covering printing area to be printed on the basis of said image data,
said method comprising the steps of:
transmitting said common data and printing control data, said printing
control data indicating whether said common data corresponds to the
undercoat printing data, the overcoat printing data or both;
determining which one of three printing procedures should be performed on
the basis of said printing control data, said determination being made by
said control section of said thermal printer, said three procedures being
a first printing procedure in which the undercoat printing, the image
printing and the overcoat printing are performed in sequence wherein said
common data corresponds to both the undercoat printing data and the
overcoat printing data, a second printing procedure in which the undercoat
printing and the image printing are performed in sequence wherein said
common data corresponds to the undercoat printing data, and a third
printing procedure in which the image printing and the overcoat printing
are performed in sequence wherein said common data corresponds to the
overcoat printing data;
transmitting said image data to be printed on said recording paper based on
a result of said determining step; and
carrying out the undercoat printing, the image printing and/or the overcoat
printing in accordance with the printing procedure determined by the
control section of said thermal printer.
2. The image printing method of claim 1, wherein:
said undercoat printing data and said overcoat printing data include
rectangular area data indicating the rectangular area covering the image
data to be printed on said recording paper.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image printing data control method for
thermal transfer printers, and more particularly to an image printing data
control method for thermal transfer printers for controlling printing
based on various image printing data including undercoat printing data for
carrying out undercoat printing on recording paper, image data for
carrying out desired image printing, and overcoat printing data for
carrying out overcoat printing with transparent ink over said image
printing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, in order to carry out satisfactory image printing on
recording paper, such as ordinary paper and rough paper with relatively
uneven surface, printing methods for thermal transfer printers are
proposed by which satisfactory printing results are achieved by performing
desired image printing with color ink after conducting undercoat printing
by the use of an ink ribbon coated with either white ink or transparent
ink to smoothen the surface of the recording paper, and further
overcoating the printed surface with transparent ink to improve the
weatherability or scratch-resistance of the printed surface.
In such a thermal transfer printer, first a ribbon cassette housing an ink
ribbon coated with transparent ink or white ink is mounted on the carriage
of the printer, and undercoat printing is accomplished on the basis of
printing data transmitted from a host side control section such as an
external computer or the like.
Image printing based on image data is performed over the surface of the
undercoat-printed area using ordinary magenta, cyan blue and yellow color
inks, overcoat printing with transparent ink is further applied over this
printed image.
In such a printing process, as illustrated in FIG. 3 (Prior Art), undercoat
printing data 4 for undercoat printing, image data 5 for image printing
and overcoat printing data 6 for overcoat printing are transmitted in a
time series from the aforementioned host side control section.
In the above-described printing process of a thermal transfer printer, the
quantity of image data to be stored in an external control section or the
like can be reduced by having printing data for undercoat printing and
overcoat printing as rectangular area information, but printing data for
causing a thermal transfer printer to execute printing and printing
instructions therefor need to be transmitted in a time series.
Accordingly, although the external control section is transmitting the
rectangular area information as image printing data, it has to effect
printing control over the thermal transfer printer even after the
transmission of the image printing data, causing such problems as a low
data processing speed, and that the thermal transfer printer has to go
through operating cycles to shift to different steps of printing, i.e.
from undercoat printing to image printing and then to overcoat printing,
as instructed by external host control means, and accordingly takes a long
printing time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an image
printing data control method for thermal transfer printers which can
achieve efficient transmission of image printing data from an external
control section to a printer control section, and thereby makes it
possible to reduce the printing time.
In order to achieve this object, according to the present invention, there
is provided an image printing data control method for thermal transfer
printers whereby printing is controlled on the basis of image printing
data transmitted from a host side control section to the control section
of a thermal transfer printer at the time of printing, the image printing
data consisting of undercoat printing data for carrying out undercoat
printing on recording paper, image data for carrying out desired image
printing, and overcoat printing data for carrying out overcoat printing
over the image printing; the undercoat printing data and the overcoat
printing data being common data; each of the undercoat printing step and
the overcoat printing step being selected as desired; and printing control
data indicating the presence or absence of a step of the undercoat
printing and a step of the overcoat printing are transmitted, before the
transmission of the image printing data, from the host side control
section to the control section of the thermal transfer printer.
According to the present invention, the undercoat printing data and
overcoat printing data are used as common data and, by transmitting
information on the presence or absence of undercoat printing and overcoat
printing using this common data as printing control data, it is made
possible to select as desired a method by which a desired printing result
is obtained by two steps of undercoat printing and image printing, another
method by which a desired printing result is obtained by three steps of
undercoat printing, image printing, and overcoat printing, still another
method by which a desired printing result is obtained by two steps of
image printing and overcoat printing, with the undercoat printing
dispensed with, and it is further made possible to reduce the time
required for recording by improving the processing speed of image printing
data while reducing the quantity of image data to be stored in an external
control section or the like.
Another feature of the image printing data control method for thermal
transfer printers according to the present invention is that, in addition
to the above described features of the invention, the undercoat printing
data and the overcoat printing data constitute rectangular area data
indicating the rectangular area covering the image printing area to be
printed at the image printing step.
Further according to the present invention, it is made possible to further
lessen the quantity of image data to be stored in the external control
section or the like, shorten the time required for transmitting image
recording data to the control section of the thermal transfer printer, and
accordingly reduce the time required for image printing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates how the undercoat printing area and the overcoat
printing area relate to the image printing area according to the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart of printing data control according to the present
invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates bit image data which is printing data according to the
prior art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
According to the present invention, printing data on undercoat printing and
overcoat printing is supposed to be used in common, and to constitute
rectangular area data offering an image printing area to be printed at an
image printing step. As illustrated in FIG. 1, they make up rectangular
area data of an undercoat printing area 1 and an overcoat printing area 3
for an image printing area 2.
Further description will be given below with reference to FIG. 2. When
image printing data is to be transmitted from the host side control
section to the control section of the thermal transfer printer, this
rectangular area data is first transmitted (STEP 1) and, at the same time,
printing control data to tell whether this rectangular area data is to be
used as undercoat printing data or not and whether it is to be used as
overcoat printing data or not (STEP 2).
For instance, where desired image printing is to be carried out using color
ink after the surface of recording paper is smoothened by undercoat
printing, and the image-printed surface is further to be overcoated with
transparent ink, simple printing information to the effect that the
rectangular area data will be used as undercoat printing data and overcoat
printing data is entered from an external input unit or the like, and this
printing information is transmitted as printing control data.
In accordance with this printing control data, the control section of the
thermal transfer printer recognizes the printing process that undercoat
printing is to be carried out on the basis of the rectangular area data
and, after desired image data is printed over that undercoat-printed
surface, overcoat printing is to be carried out, again on the basis of the
rectangular area data, and stores the rectangular area data as printing
data (STEP 3).
In the above-described case, undercoat printing is carried out first in
accordance with the rectangular area data that has been transmitted (STEP
4).
Then, desired image printing is performed on the basis of image data that
has been transmitted (STEP 5) and, after completion of this image
printing, overcoat printing is accomplished in accordance with the
printing control data on the basis of the stored rectangular area data
(STEP 6).
By transmitting the rectangular area data and the printing control data in
advance of the transmission of the image printing data in this manner, the
printing process can be advanced without having to wait for printing
instructions sent from the host side control section in time series, and
accordingly the time required for image printing can be shortened.
Furthermore, by storing and using the rectangular area data as common data
for the undercoat printing data and the overcoat printing data, the
quantity of image printing data to be stored by the control section can be
reduced.
Incidentally, the undercoat printing data and the overcoat printing data of
the image printing data to be used in common need not be rectangular area
data to offer an image printing area as stated above, they may as well be,
for example, area data matched to the contour of the image printing area.
Further according to the present invention, it is possible to select as
desired a step to perform undercoat printing on recording paper and a step
to accomplish overcoat printing over the surface of the recorded image as
a protective layer and obtain a desired recorded image.
Thus, in accordance with printing control data from an external input unit
or the like as simple printing information, where, for instance, printing
information requiring only undercoat printing is entered, the printing
control data will be such data as provide for using the aforementioned
rectangular area data only as undercoat printing data or where,
conversely, printing information dispensing with undercoat printing and
requiring only overcoat printing is entered, the printing control data
will be data for using the aforementioned rectangular area data only as
overcoat printing data. It is further possible to dispense with both
undercoat printing and overcoat printing.
The present invention is not restricted to the above described embodiment,
but can be modified in various ways as required.
As hitherto described, according to the image printing data control method
for thermal transfer printers pertaining to the present invention, by
first transmitting from the host side control section undercoat printing
data and/or overcoat printing data to be used in common for the
aforementioned image printing data and transmitting to the control section
of the thermal transfer printer printing control data indicating whether
this common data is to be used as undercoat printing data or not and
whether it is to be used as overcoat printing or not, overcoat printing
after the aforementioned image printing can be carried out automatically
without having to wait for an instruction from the external host control
section, resulting in a reduced load of printing operation and faster
processing by the external host control section. Furthermore, as the
thermal transfer printer executes undercoat printing and overcoat printing
to suit its own convenience, there is no need for perfect synchronization
of its operation, providing a benefit of shortening the time required for
printing.
Top